17 apps for getting your act together in 2017

New year, new you, right? If only it were that easy. Setting resolutions is simple, but keeping them is a little harder. To help, we've put together a list of our favourite "useful" apps and tools that will help new you be the best you! …sorry, I got a bit too enthusiastic there. Anyway. Apps.

Streaks

Streaks is a to-do list with a twist. Pick up to six tasks you want to turn into daily habits - for example, reading for half an hour, practicing French, or walking the dog - and Streaks will keep track of that, and tell you how many times in a row you've avoided breaking your chain.

Duolingo

Want to learn another language this year? Duolingo has free courses for over 15 different languages, and wants just five minutes of your time a day. Don't be the guy who can't even say "bonjour, je ne parle pas français, parlez-vous anglais?" when you're travelling overseas.

OneNote

OneNote is Microsoft's free take on a note-taking app. Its fully featured, available for almost every operating system under the sun, allows collaboration, and reliable syncs your content between every device you have OneNote installed on.

1Password

1Password is one of the best password managers currently available. If you're not familiar with the concept of a password manager, they essentially allow you to create complex, unique passwords for all of your online services, which are then locked in your "vault" behind a master password.

1Password is available as an outright purchase, or as a monthly subscription which includes cross-device sync. If you buy outright, you can still sync devices through the use of a service like Dropbox or iCloud. Family subscriptions are also available, which let you share select passwords with others.

Splitwise

Splitwise is a simple app that makes it easy to keep track of who owes you what. The app takes the maths out of working out how to split bills, whether it's rent or the bar tab at the end of the night.

Embark

Embark is a cute Australian-made public transport app that supports all major local cities and plenty more around the world. It's map-based, so Embark is especially helpful if you're going to a new suburb or city. And it might just help you stop showing up to things late.

Headspace

Headspace is a guided meditation and mindfulness app. You get ten guided medication sessions for free when you download the app, but after you finish, you'll need to subscribe for more content. Most meditations come in themed packs, dealing with subjects including anxiety, creativity, and self-esteem.

Wunderlist

Wunderlist is a polished to-do list app that makes it easy to set deadlines for all your various tasks. Importantly, Wunderlist is available on most platforms, and will sync your to-dos between devices.

Pocketbook

Pocketbook is one of the friendliest budgeting apps around, and is a simple way to help manage your spending. You can also sync with your bank account (it's compatible with all of Australia's major banks), so you're able to get real time data on your finances.

Unroll.me

Unroll.me is a service that helps you get rid of all those pesky emails from mailing lists that you can't remember subscribing too, but are a little too lazy to do anything about. And if you actually like your daily dose of newsletters, Unroll.me has an iOS app that rolls up all of your subscription emails into a swipeable digest to make them a little more manageable.

IFTTT

Short for "if this then that", IFTTT is a service that lets you automate simple tasks. For example, if you change your profile picture on Facebook, IFTTT will propagate the change to your other social networks. Or if you upload a new photo to Instagram, IFTTT can automatically save it to Dropbox.

Expensify

Pushbullet

Pushbullet is an app that connects your devices to make them "act like one". For example, you can use Pushbullet to get your phone's notifications on your computer, or to copy links from your computer to your tablet.

DocPlay

DocPlay is one of Australia's newest streaming services, and it's just for documentaries. In addition to a premium subscription option, there's a number of docos available to view for free. Get your learn on.

Easy Diet Diary

Fitbit

Even if you don’t have a fitness tracker, the Fitbit app is still able to keep track of your daily activity using your smartphone's sensors. You can also use the app for logging your calorie intact and your daily water consumption.

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